Benno Thoma

Black and White (School children in Gambia, West Africa)

2015

Benno Thoma was born in the university city of Maastricht, on the southern tip of the Netherlands, in November 1956. He strives to stimulate our senses in his photographs and to move his audience to touch, feel and experience his vision. His photographs show us the beauty in each aspect of the composition. There is a tactile feel to his material, positive energy that comes from the light that gives nuance to the subtle colors created. Arranged together with the beauty and dignity of the human body, his technique invites us to become one with the scene. Benno travels around the world to create his images and strives to bathe his subjects in the natural light of that locale. Above all, he captures the sense of place, its uniqueness - cultural, natural or architectural. His newest photographs manipulate the element of water and light, to express his vision of the male body, in both its innocence and vulnerability. Thoma uses movement and composition to capture the beauty of the body. The German publishing house of Bruno Gmunder has published five monographs of his work. His photographs chronicle the luxurious properties of the Kempinski Hotel Group, the beautiful young actors of Bel Ami and everyday people, wherever he travels. Whatever his subject, Benno Thoma’s photos are always a temptation for the senses.